3 syllables: ap, pli, cants. Stress on ap.
AP-lik-uhnts
/ˈæplɪkənts/
applicants is pronounced AP-lik-uhnts (/ˈæplɪkənts/). It has three syllables (ap-pli-cants), with the stress on "ap". Applicants refers to people who apply for something, such as a job or program. The word functions as a plural noun, signaling multiple candidates, and is commonly used in formal or administrative contexts. It conveys the group of people who have submitted applications and are being considered or screened.
Applicants refers to people who apply for something, such as a job or program. The word functions as a plural noun, signaling multiple candidates, and is commonly used in formal or administrative contexts. It conveys the group of people who have submitted applications and are being considered or screened.
- You may merge the /pl/ into a weaker /p/ or /b/ sound, leading to /æpɪkænts/. Focus on placing the tongue for /p/ and then immediately lifting to /l/ without a vowel between. - Final /ts/ may be shortened or omitted in rapid speech; practice holding the /t/ release and contracting into /s/*. - Vowel quality can drift toward /ə/ or /ɪ/ in the first syllable, producing /əplɪkənts/; insist on a clear /æ/ by opening the jaw slightly and lifting the tongue toward the top teeth.
"The applicants were asked to bring multiple references to the interview."
"HR will shortlist the top applicants for the final round."
"Several applicants spoke up during the Q&A session."
Pronounce as AP-pli-cants, IPA US: /ˈæplɪˌkænts/ or /ˈæplɪkənts/ depending on syllabic stress. In careful speech, stress on the first syllable with secondary stress on the third: /ˈæp.lɪˌkænts/. The consonant cluster -pli- is pronounced with a clear /pl/ blend, followed by /ɪ/ then /kænts/ with a soft /æ/ in the final syllable. Mouth position: start with a relaxed jaw, raise the front of the tongue for /æ/, then press the tongue to the alveolar ridge for /pl/, and finish with a light /ə/ or /ɪ/ before /kænts/.
Common errors: 1) Dropping the /l/ or misplacing it as a simple /p/ cluster, making /æpɪkænts/ instead of /æplɪkænts/. 2) Blurring the /pl/ into /p/ or /pl/ → /pɫ/ unintentionally. 3) Weakly articulating the final /ts/ as /s/ or /t/, producing /æplɪkæns/ or /æplɪkænts/ with insufficient final consonant clarity. Correction: clearly articulate the /pl/ blend with a short, crisp /p/ followed by /l/ with the tongue touching the alveolar ridge; finish with an audible /ts/ by raising the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge just before releasing into /s/.
US: tends to keep /æ/ as in cat in both first and second syllables, with /æplɪˌkænts/ or /ˈæplɪkənts/. UK: similar, but you may hear a slightly shorter first vowel and a more clipped /t/ at the end in careful speech; /ˈæplɪkənts/. AU: often non-rhotic? Australians generally maintain /æplɪkənts/ with a slightly broader /ɒ/ in some speakers, but most say /ˈæplɪkənts/ with rhoticity limited; the ending /ts/ remains clear.
Two main challenges: the /pl/ consonant cluster requires precise timing and tongue positioning; and the final /ts/ needs a clean release without turning into /t/ or /s/. The sequence /æp/ → /pl/ demands a rapid transition from a bilabial stop to a lateral-alveolar blend, while the final alveolar affricate /ts/ needs a quick tip elevation and tip-release. With careful lip, tongue, and jaw coordination, you can maintain a crisp final cluster.
The root 'apply' gives the expected pronunciation /æplɪ-/, but spelling can mislead some to stress the second syllable as /ˈæpp.lɪˌkænts/ or mispronounce as /əˈplɪkənts/. Focus on syllable boundary after the first /l/ and keep the /æ/ vowel in the first syllable strong, not reduced, to ensure you clearly realize /æp-lɪ-/ before /kænts/.
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- US: maintain rhotic pledge; /æplɪˌkænts/ with a characteristic strong first vowel and crisp /ts/ at the end. - UK: slightly crisper final /ts/, marginally tighter /æ/ and less vowel reduction; /ˈæplɪkænts/. - AU: similar to US but with more vowel length variation in some speakers; ensure the /æ/ remains prominent; end with a clean /ts/.
The word applicants comes from the verb apply, via the noun application, combined with the agentive suffix -ant (from Latin -ans, -antis), indicating someone who performs the action. The root apply enters English from Old French appliquer, ultimately from Latin applicare (ad + plicare, to fold or bend toward). Early use of apply in English relates to putting to use or bringing into operation. By the 15th–16th centuries, applicant/noun forms began to appear in legal and administrative contexts to describe a person who makes an application or seeks something (a position, favor, or benefit). The modern plural applicants emerged as a natural extension of the singular applicant, with the -s indicating multiple people who have submitted applications. The term gained broader usage in business and HR in the 20th century and remains standard in hiring, admissions, and program selection, often in contexts like “the applicants for the fellowship.”
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Words that rhyme with "applicants"
-nts sounds
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